Church: Why bother?

To dwell in love with saints above,
Why that will be glory.
To dwell below with saints I know --
Why, that's a different story. ~ Anonymous
"When the Lord God saw the extent of human wickedness, and that the trend and direction of men's lives were only towards evil, He was sorry He had made them. It broke His heart... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:5-6, 8) "We humans cause God great pain, yet God remains passionately involved with us. Should not I have something of that same attitude toward the church around me?" Quoting from Philip Yancey's Church: Why bother? "Having experienced the grace of God for ourselves, we wanted to dispense it to others, free of charge, no strings attached, as grace always comes. The church, I have learned, can indeed be a new sign radically dissimilar to the world's own manner, and contradict it in a way which is full of promise. For this reason, church is worth the bother."

"When the Milpitas High School orchestra attempts Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the result is appalling," Philip Yancey quoting Earl Palmer, "I wouldn't be surprised if the performance made old Ludwig roll over in his grave despite his deafness. You might ask, 'Why bother?' Why inflict on those poor kids the terrible burden of trying to render what the immortal Beethoven had in mind? Not even the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra can attain that perfection. My answer is this: The Milpitas High School orchestra will give some people in that audience their only encounter with Beethoven's great Ninth Symphony. Far from perfection, it is nevertheless the only way they will hear Beethoven's message." -- a defence for the church against critics who dismissed it for its hypocrisy, its failures, its inability to measure up to the New Testament's high standards. "Although we [the church] may never achieve what the composer had in mind, there is no other way for those sounds to be heard on earth."

This is a big old ship, Bill. She creaks, she rocks, she rolls, and at times she makes you want to throw up. But she gets where she's going. Always has, always will, until the end of time. With or without you.
~ J. F. Powers, Wheat that springeth green
It is not what you are nor what you have been
that God sees with His all-merciful eyes,
but what you desire to be.
~ The Cloud of Unknowing